John Spender

SPENDER, John William. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of John William Spender. John died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack in his home in Guelph on Friday April 29, 2016, at the age of 72.

John was born in London, England on April 3, 1944 and immigrated to Canada in 1969 with, as he used to say, “only the clothes on his back and $200”. Trained as a tool and die maker, John worked in manufacturing and lived in Toronto, where he bought his first car (a blue mustang), and met and married a young nurse from North Bay, Margaret Ann Fraser. John completed his post-secondary education as an adult, earning a degree from the University of Guelph and a teaching certificate from York University.

John dedicated his life to the service of others. He was a teacher in the Ontario Ministry of Corrections, working with young offenders and incarcerated adults. John was active in his community, as a Scout Leader, Union Representative, and as an involved and dedicated parent to his children, Andrea and Sean. John spent a good portion of his middle age driving Andrea and Sean, and often friends and teammates, between sporting events, concerts, sleepovers and camping trips.

In his neighbourhood where he and his wife Marg lived for 34 years and raised their family, John frequently helped his neighbours. Whether it was minding someone’s home during their vacation, moving a friend, or pet sitting, John was always ready to help. Meticulous and conscientious, the neighbor would often return home to detailed notes on the comings and goings around their home or a chart documenting the timing and frequency of their beloved pet’s bodily functions.

John was an avid sportsman, and enjoyed camping, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, climbing, and ice climbing. In his middle years he focused on long treks, hiking the Inca trail in Peru to Machu Picchu, the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail in the United States, and Gros Morne National Park and Pukaskwa Coastal Trail here at home. In his later years, he was a regular at the gym, and was recently told jokingly by a young man in the weight room that he was “making all the young guys look bad”.

John had a fierce curiosity and rich intellectual life. He was genuinely interested in other’s lives and was known to ask many questions. He loved history, and had an encyclopedic knowledge of military antiques. He would often comment on errors in military uniforms depicted in movies, down to the most minute details. He refinished antique furniture, and was known to frequent garage sales and the local thrift stores, seeing the beauty and potential in every piece, including those his family often thought were better suited for the garbage! He read both fiction and non-fiction, and in the last week of his life came home giddily clutching a Graham Greene novel that he hadn’t yet read (“The End of the Affair”). He did the crossword and word jumble daily. Both John and Marg enjoyed travelling, especially following their children around the globe, whether visiting Andrea in New York City, or hiking with Sean in a remote outpost of South Africa.

John narrowly escaped a health crisis 5 years ago when he developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome. In the face of a grim prognosis, he fought to re-learn how to eat, walk, talk, and live again. After this amazing recovery, the birth of his only grandchild Willem, and the return of both his children to Guelph from living abroad, John had a new lease on life. He was a dedicated and active grandfather, spending hours building Lego, watering the garden, doing school pick-up, or simply sharing meals with his much loved grandson. Many who knew him say that these last years were his happiest.

Husband to Margaret Ann Spender (Fraser), and father to Andrea Spender and Sean Spender. Special Grandpa to Willem Spender Lasby. Father-in-law to Eric Lasby and Sarah Jane Horn. Brother to Frank, Anna, and Janet Spender. Brother-in-law to Susan and Jacques Paiement and John Fraser.

The family would like to invite you to join us for a Celebration of John’s Life, perhaps a cup of tea and a butter tart, at Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home, 252 Dublin Street N., Guelph Ontario, on Thursday May 26 between 4-7 p.m., with remarks from the family at 6 p.m.

John was born with a cleft lip and palate, and was greatly concerned about children with this condition who could not access corrective surgery. The family would like to ask that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to John’s Memorial Page at Smile Train, an international children’s charity that provides free surgery to poor children suffering from cleft lip and cleft palate. http://support.smiletrain.org/goto/JohnSpender

The family would like to thank the Guelph fire, paramedics and police services, particularly the Victims Services Unit, for assisting the family during this difficult time. We are so grateful for the support for our neighbours and friends, as well as the greater Guelph community.

Dublin Fellowship Lounge, Dublin Chapel on Thursday, May 26, 2016 from 4-7 p.m., with remarks from the family at 6 p.m.